Freefalling
by seoul.knight
Summary: Sokka and Suki in a Modern AU. Suki is a law enforcer and Sokka is a stand up comedian. How they got together baffles everyone around them. One Shot. An entry to Round 2 of the Probending Circuit.
**A/N: An entry to the Probending Circuit using prompts** **(word) differences** **,** **(emotion) dread** ** & ****(restriction) Only one character can have dialogue** **. I don't own ATLA.**

Freefalling, light as feather.

.

Dip.

Heavy sinking feeling, an anvil chained around the ankles.

.

Dip.

Turbulence: An experience most dreaded when you're in a plane.

.

Dip.

.

Suki cannot remember when a trip back home could fill her with an overwhelming sense of dread both physically and mentally.

Usually a vacation trip back home is the only thing she looks forward to after an entire year of living in the concrete jungle of the city; fighting fires and generally surviving another day.

 _Survival-_ It really is a buzz word for those who live in that place with its millions of city dwellers, whose lives run from 9 to 5 like clockwork. They're basically robots who gets switched on at the first glimpse of daylight to have their fill of coffee fuel, engage in the same grueling activities of the mind and body throughout the day, and by nightfall, goes to gain a temporary recharge at pubs and clubs available in every street corner.

As the night gets darker, the _differences_ between the robots become more apparent; between those who can switch off and those that just can't.

It is the pull of the vibrant city lights and the electrifying energy it exudes. It awakens the undead while killing those who simply can't handle it.

The same undead that Suki has to both protect and defend against day in and day out.

Suki thinks she is not going to survive this plane ride.

Suki, the law enforcer, who faces death upfront every single day of her city life is afraid of heading back home. The problem is, for the first time, she doesn't think surviving is such a hot thing after all. Maybe this once, it's alright not to.

"And then I said – Don't come any closer, I don't think letting one rip would be a good closure! And everyone was laughing! They were _laughing_ throughout the entire routine! You should have been there Sweetie!" Sokka was laughing so hard at his own story tears had begun to form in his eyes.

Suki simply smiles as she looks on at him. She was almost afraid to laugh out along with him for fear that it might just trigger her vomit muscles.

 _Sokka_ \- the only living thing in Suki's existence amongst the undead.

Listening to the droning sounds of her boyfriend- ahem- fiancé's voice talking on and on about one of his stand-up shows sure beats having to listen to another undead drama back at the station. No one at Precinct 17 could have guessed that Suki was dating a stand-up comedian. That on its own sounds like one of the routines Sokka would have done and the hilarity of it would be so surreal.

This weekend would be the first time Suki would be introducing her fiancé to her family and no amount of preparation could be enough to quell her fears of this impending day. She wasn't sure of how her family would react to Sokka and vice versa. It's not like they would reject them or their relationship. She was just afraid that they might not be able to get along.

Suki would _so_ hate that.

Their differences, they are two worlds apart.

Suki had grown up in family who has been into law enforcement for generations- both civil or military. Her father was a Lieutenant Colonel of the army and her mother was a policewoman back in her countryside like Suki is in her adopted city home. Her two older brothers worked as personal bodyguards to highly important world figures and her younger brother has delved into Information Technology & Communication Security. Though the latter is not so much physically challenging, it is still another way of protecting individuals and organizations in the virtual world that no doubt is increasing in size.

Suki could only picture how awkward it would be at the family dinner table. While the rest of them would be talking about the latest security threats across international borders, Sokka might be saying something like, "If international _hoarders_ are to combine their forces, we would be left with absolutely nothing. They would have taken it all! Now that is a threat!"

Suki face palms herself.

Even her own thoughts are not helping. It wasn't even funny and Suki knows Sokka would have said something more humorous than that.

"Sweetie, I think you should try talking to the Mayor and see if he could do anything about shutting down those poetry clubs,' Sokka says as he takes a sip of his soda. 'I mean, have you been in there? The ideas these people churn out are so radical! Seriously, I was there one day and when I left, my brain went numb! I couldn't even think after that! It was like some kind of MK Ultra thingy! They're trying to mind-control us!"

Believe it or not, she enjoys listening to Sokka's ideas whether it was about his routines or simply listening to conversations about nothing. Sokka was like a great big breath of fresh air after a day of facing thugs and mobsters, nabbing mothers for discarding their newborns or facing lash outs from the public about shoot-outs in schools.

After an entire day of enduring total chaos, going home to Sokka is like a constant timely reminder that she desperately needs; that no one should take the world so seriously. And Sokka has dedicated his life to that, simply making people forget their entire day's hard thrashing and just laugh it out heartily. After all, the world will simply keep on turning through the good and the bad and everyone still has to keep on living.

And that ultimately is only true rule in the art of Survival.

 _. . ._

" _So, a woman needs to understand that a man just ain't made to be that way. He never means anything he says,'_

 _Suki had met Sokka for the first time that night when her female colleagues decided to have their ladies' night out on a Saturday. One of her friends had mentioned of an extremely adorable comedian who does his routines every Saturday night at a place called "Harmony Restoration". The name itself just makes you go "Huh?"_

 _Anyway, Suki had come in later than her friends due to some unfinished case issues. She got herself a drink and settled in an empty seat at their table._

' _When a man is talking to his friends, they insult each other but they don't really mean it. On the other hand, a woman always compliments her friends and yet, she doesn't really mean it either."_

 _And Suki wants to throw her beer bottle at him. Never mind that it was still more than half full._

" _You probably think this is an extremely sexist thing for me to say but, I think women can be sexist too. But you know just like in everything else, men are much better at this."_

 _. . ._

Suki laughed for the first time that night; against her better judgement. 

"You wanna hear a plane joke?' Sokka starts and Suki simply smiles and nods. She has been waiting for one of these to help distract her from her dreadful thoughts. 'What do you get when you cross a plane and a snake?"

. . .

Suki wracks her brain for a simple answer as is the case for every one of Sokka's jokes. She glances at him and he looks like he was about to burst, trying to contain the answer to himself. It almost distracts her train of thought as she thinks of how cute he looks when he does that.

"Give up? Give up?" Sokka says excitedly as he taps gently on her hand that lays on the armrest in between them.

After a while, she shrugs and he almost lets out a whoop but manages to hold himself back as he tries to regain his composure.

And in the most serious demeanor he could afford, he says in a low voice.

"A boeing constrictor."

. . .

 **(1,339 words)**

 **Reviews would be much appreciated.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


End file.
